ICAO's confirmation NTB charged high fees from tourists

KATHMANDU, Oct 21: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has raised a question saying that the Nepal Tourism Board has charged high service fees from foreign tourists without adequate service. With ICAO raising questions, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has prepared to write a letter to the Air Transport Organization for cancellation

Gyanendra Bhul, information officer of CAAN, informed that the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has initiated the necessary process to remove the fact that the NTB has created an arbitrary procedure and charged high fees from foreign tourists coming to Nepal. Bhul confirmed that the CAAN is going to write to ICAO on Thursday to cancel this irregularity of the board.

ICAO had raised questions on the large audit conducted from April 13 to 25, saying that the economy manual was not serviced and the high fees were charged against the law. Addressing the same, it is understood that CAAN has proceeded with the process to remove it.

It has been said that it is not possible to charge a fee that is not connected to the passenger without doing the work. No such service was provided despite charging a fee. The audit has confirmed that the NTB has collected 1,000 rupees per tourist and provided invisible services," Bhul said. "After writing to NTB twice about this matter, but did not receive a satisfactory answer, they are going to write to the International Air Transport Organization (IATA).

According to him, NTB has been charging foreign tourists a fee of 1000 rupees each for coming and going to Nepal. He informed me that he is going to write to IATA to remove this fee from the ticket. At present, only Nepal Airlines Corporation is affiliated with IATA from Nepal.

Maniraj Lamichhane Director of NTB said that the service fee charged to foreign tourists coming to Nepal through international air transport is reasonable.

We have been collecting service charges at this rate since 14 years ago. NTB has not levied arbitrary service charges. This organization of the PPP model has been collecting this fee with the permission of the government,' Director Lamichhane said, 'NTB has not collected this fee by its own will.'

He said that the board now earns 1 billion 20 million rupees annually from service fees. Lamichhane claimed that this fee is not high compared to the growth rate of the dollar.

We were awarded by World Tourism Mart last year because of our excellent service. Lamichhane said that the board has been spending the money raised from this on the implementation and operation of the plan aimed at promoting tourism.

According to the Tourism Board Act 2053 and the Tourism Board Regulations 2055, it is arranged that tourists who have come to visit Nepal from abroad are allowed to charge a service fee for providing any service and consultation at the airport. According to the Economic Act of 2063, it was arranged to collect 500 rupees from tourists. But in the year 2066, the board had written to the Ministry of Finance asking to charge Rs 1,000 per tourist for the service fee.

Due to being a PPP model organization, the Ministry of Finance had given approval to implement the fee by arranging in its own regulations. The board has been charging a fee of Rs.1000. There is a provision that no government organization can collect revenue by making its own procedures.

According to the 2074 operating rules, any service fee regulation must be passed by the cabinet.